Tehran celebrates charshanbe suri

Tehran celebrates the festival of charshanbe suri - lighting bonfires, fire-works and fire-crackers. The Iranian religious right tried to ban the practice for fears of protests by the Green Movement - Tehrani's reacted by dancing in the faces of police and burning green 'V' signs in the streets as a symbol of defiance. 17/03/10. Tehran, Iran.

The people of Tehran rejoice on the last Tuesday of the year by lighting bonfires, fire-works and fire-crackers. They see out the year by feasting with relatives and visiting the graves of their loved ones before the celebrations begin.

The bonfires are intended to call for departing spirits to return and the night sky is lit up with fire-works and fires on rooftops so that the spirits do not return to the darkness. Evil spirits are chased away through the joy of the people, their singing and dancing around bonfires.

On March 16 Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared the celebrations as having “no Sharia basis and causes much harm and corruption and should be avoided altogether,” causing an uproar among Iranian that perceived his comments as indications that he feared the night may prompt protests larger than the post-elections clashes between the Green Movement opposition and Iranian authorities. In defiance many Tehrani’s danced in the faces of police officers.

Continuing the festivities people leap over the flames while shouting; ‘sorkhie tu az man, zardieh man az tu’. Your fiery red color is mine and my yellow paleness is your. This is a purification rite and ‘suri’ itself means red and fiery.

During the day children dress up in costumes reenacting the visits by the departed spirits –run around their neighbourhood making as much noise as they can and knock on doors for treats.

The celebrations of charshanbe suri is thousands of years old and is practiced today by all faiths in Persian countries celebrating their heritage and culture.

Tehran celebrates the festival of charshanbe suri - lighting bonfires, fire-works and fire-crackers. The Iranian religious right tried to ban the practice for fears of protests by the Green Movement - Tehrani's reacted by dancing in the faces of police and burning green 'V' signs in the streets as a symbol of defiance. 17/03/10. Tehran, Iran.

The people of Tehran rejoice on the last Tuesday of the year by lighting bonfires, fire-works and fire-crackers. They see out the year by feasting with relatives and visiting the graves of their loved ones before the celebrations begin.

The bonfires are intended to call for departing spirits to return and the night sky is lit up with fire-works and fires on rooftops so that the spirits do not return to the darkness. Evil spirits are chased away through the joy of the people, their singing and dancing around bonfires.

On March 16 Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared the celebrations as having “no Sharia basis and causes much harm and corruption and should be avoided altogether,” causing an uproar among Iranian that perceived his comments as indications that he feared the night may prompt protests larger than the post-elections clashes between the Green Movement opposition and Iranian authorities. In defiance many Tehrani’s danced in the faces of police officers.

Continuing the festivities people leap over the flames while shouting; ‘sorkhie tu az man, zardieh man az tu’. Your fiery red color is mine and my yellow paleness is your. This is a purification rite and ‘suri’ itself means red and fiery.

During the day children dress up in costumes reenacting the visits by the departed spirits –run around their neighbourhood making as much noise as they can and knock on doors for treats.

The celebrations of charshanbe suri is thousands of years old and is practiced today by all faiths in Persian countries celebrating their heritage and culture.